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Thomas Jefferson Inaugural Address Summary

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The first inaugural address of President Thomas Jefferson was delivered on March 4, 1801, in the Capitol Building of the new capital of Washington DC. As Thomas Jefferson was considered to be one of the most brilliant men who held office, also having authored the Declaration of Independence, he had very strong ideals for the role of government in the new republic. As an advocate for states’ rights, he thrived for a limited role for the federal government. He wanted to keep the government out of honest citizen’s lives and strongly supported individual freedom. Jefferson thought each person was entitled to equal rights. He announced that to silence anyone’s differential opinion would be an act of oppression. Each person should be honored with the right of having their own opinion. If our people were not allowed to openly disagree, it would fuel an unjust nation. Jefferson states we should proceed as “one heart and one mind.” By saying “one heart and one mind,” it allows the people …show more content…

He also believed we are entitled to equal justice, religious and political freedoms, peace, honest friendships, and the right of election. This tells us that Jefferson’s beliefs in the importance of personal freedoms and individual rights was genuine and sincere. Surely, without access to our freedoms and rights, we would have an unhappy nation. With an unhappy nation might spawn rivalry from the people against the government. Jefferson avoids this by promising liberty to the people. Jefferson says that we are all Republicans and we are all Federalists. He believed that we behold the strongest government on Earth. While he wants happiness and freedom for all, it seems as though the government’s power rests with the people. A fluctuation of power within the government that is powerless enough to abide with the people, but powerful enough to council and execute. Nonetheless, Jefferson advocates for a more limited

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Thomas Jefferson’s First Inaugural Address Thomas Jefferson ran against Aaron Burr, in the 1800 Presidential Election. They tied with 73 electoral votes, and The House of Representatives was the group who had to make the final decision on who would be best to lead their country. In the end, Jefferson came out on top with Burr as his Vice President. During Jefferson's First Inaugural Address, he states that we need to create a better form of government, separate ourselves from other countries, and unite as a country. Jefferson had his own idea of how the American government should function.

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As a leader of the party, Thomas Jefferson upheld general Democratic-Republican values for a majority of his presidency. After being elected in 1800, Jefferson stated, in a letter to one of his future cabinet members, “The true theory of our Constitution is surely the wisest and best that the states are independent as to everything within themselves” (Doc A). Jefferson stated his overall views as traditionally being in favor of state’s independence. He further reinforces his traditional Republican beliefs by expressing that the government should not be involved with religious affairs.

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Jefferson had faith in the common people and advocated against special privileges in favor of the wealthy. To Jefferson the decision taken by the majority was the will of the people. Jefferson established that the central government needed to be "Rigorously frugal and simple." In Jefferson’s republic, he favored a weak central government and a strong state government. Acting in the people’s common interest Jefferson supported the unalienable right of citizens presented in the bill of rights and believe in the theses right must be ensured under all circumstances.

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Thomas Jefferson's tone in his speech "Thomas Jefferson Inaugural Address is positive and optimistic. Thomas Jefferson delivers this Inaugural Address after he has won the presidency against Aaron Burr. Thomas Jefferson’s speech is intended for all American citizens and members of Congress. In his Inaugural Address, Thomas Jefferson began to speak about all the problems of the way the government operates. He believes that all the parties should come together to reach a common goal and believed that by changing the government, it will better the nations.

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In the olden times of mankind there has always been a vast amount of remarkable people who leave an imprint in history, the heart, and in the lives of humanity; such is the case of Thomas Jefferson, one of the Founding Fathers and author of the principles of the Constitution. The essence of the Declaration of Independence portrays a cry for fair rights and justice among the leaders of the thirteen colonies. However, the words and expressions of the writer of the most significant legacies this country can have let him be heartfelt about the need for better government. It clearly shows values and principles; among them are intelligence to write a paper able to set the standards of the United States of America, and the courage to get rid of Great

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Barry Balleck says Jefferson believed people could be more easily influenced or manipulated by higher class members when large cities developed, which would soon happen if he did not expand the country. Jefferson firmly believed the decency of people

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government. Another reason why Jefferson would be a better president than Adams would be because of his reasoning that the people should have the rights to elect their executive and legislative branch, but also decide by jury themselves. Jefferson thought this because without having the right of the people to vote in their government would make the government be too much like a monarchy. To prevent the government to be like a monarch he proposed a right that ,”all power is inherited in the people: that they may exercise it themselves, in all cases to which they think themselves competent, as in electing their functionaries executive and legislative, and deciding by jury themselves...that it is their right and duty to be at all times armed. ”(-Jefferson)

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Thomas Jefferson, strict constructionist? One of our most contributing founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, once stated that “A Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government, and what no just government should refuse, or rest on interference.” This clearly implies that he’s a man of the people. Although he thought a “president above parties” was the way to go or that “we are all republicans--- we are all federalists” he was sure enough an Anti-Federalist, by far, between the mid 1700s.

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Thomas Jefferson used his position as a newly elected president to send the message of unity to a country that had been divided by political affiliation and opinions. Jefferson spoke much of equality and respecting the difference of opinions in each other. In his speech, he highlighted that a difference of opinion should not be allowed to divide a country as strong as America and expresses the fact that although our views may differ we are all entitled to contrasting sentiments without consequence. He believed that knowledge, sound reasoning, and rationality would eventually win over those whose opinions were based on unsubstantiated reasoning. Thomas Jefferson was very wise in his belief that unity was possible and through this union, the

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A common misconception that Thomas Jefferson brings into question is his ethical views on slavery. His statement in the Declaration of Independence, “...All men are created equal”, completely contradicts his attitude on slavery. He was an advocate for human rights, yet he himself owned slaves that he inherited and purchased. Among the numerous slaves he owned, Jefferson freed only a handful. Douglas L. Wilson and Paul Finkelman both analyze his documents and form conclusions of his views on human rights and equality.

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Jefferson believed that “Every man, at the call of the law, would fly to the standard of the law, and meet invasions of the public order as his own personal concern.” He advocated for militia power over military strength as well. The republican government also drastically reduced the prices of farmland with acts such as the Land Act of 1820. The republican government also reduced some of the distinctions between social classes. Most people felt that all Americans were treated as equals under Jefferson’s power.

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Though he did not campaign for his party, He became the President of the United States on February 17, 1801. Jefferson stood with better people, grounding his position on a wide knowledge of English history and political background. His most notable early contribution was his powerful pamphlet A summary view of rights in British America (1774), originally written for presentation to the Virginia convention that year. In this he emphasized natural rights, including emigration and denied authority over the colonies, recognizing no tie with the the US except the king. After his father died when Jefferson was a teen, the future president inherited the Shadwell property.

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On March 4, 1841, President William Henry Harrison gave the longest inaugural speech in American history. In summary, President Harrison’s speech mainly discussed how the people of the United States has the rights to individual liberties and how it is the duty of the president to protect those liberties through the Constitution. Specifically, the speech went into great detail about how the president should consult with everyone, like the Senate and House of Representatives, before making a huge executive decision. In general, Harrison's goal was to bring the country together through the use of the Constitution and individual rights.

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The debate between Thomas Jefferson and his opponent, Aaron Burr was considered very heated, so when congress gave Jefferson the presidency and Burr the vice presidency, many people became defensive. Jefferson strongly believes that all men are equal regardless of political party. Instead of degrading the other political party, he used a different technique so that every citizen would calm down. Jefferson stated that “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists” (Jefferson). Because the government release some of its power, which allowed the people to vote for who they wanted, it gave some insight for Jefferson about what a good government is.

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Thomas Jefferson’s legacy shaped the foundation of America today, his ideas on the limiting federal government, the separation of church and state, and the utmost importance of an individual 's personal rights. Limiting help to control potential abuses by the people in power over the citizens who elected them. His influence on limiting the federal government has prevented many crisis’ that have affected other democracies. Furthermore, his beliefs of separation of church and state helped to advance society by keeping the United States of America from becoming a theocracy. Arguably Thomas Jefferson’s biggest accomplishment comes from his incredibly strong and influential effort to further advance the personal rights of each and every citizen.

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